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UHR Project Management Program

In UHR, project managers are accountable for the successful delivery of complete projects such as compliance initiatives, systems changes and committee facilitation. A successful project manager must demonstrate flexibility and competency in many areas, from the traditional “hard” skills of managing schedule, budget and project scope to the “soft” skills of relationship building, change management and project communication.

The goal of this program is to provide you with the fundamental tools and strategies needed to harness the energy of key stakeholders and maximize available resources for project success. An investment in these skills will prepare you to grow in your current or future roles and meet a need for effective project management across UHR.

This page will be updated frequently. Please check back for new information. Last update 07/18/18.

About the Program

The program is for any UHR staff member who meets the following criteria.

Desire to grow professionally

Interest in being involved in complex or interdepartmental projects in the future (such as compliance projects, committee work or strategic initiatives)

Workshop Logistics and Schedule

Workshops will be led by experienced UHR project managers and senior staff at various Wolverine Tower locations. Participants should feel free to bring and eat lunch during noon workshops. Following each workshop, participants can apply to earn digital badges through Mblem upon completing practice exercises. Participants can access workshop materials, templates and other tools in the UHR Project Management Resources and Tools folder in U-M Box.

How to Register

Registration information is provided via email to UHR staff in advance of each session.

Tier 1 Workshops (Beginner)

2018-2019 Tier 1 UHR Project Management Workshops

Date

Time

Tier 1 Workshop Title

Workshop Location

September 19, 2018

11:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m.

Beginning Project Management - Part 1

Wolverine Tower 6017 & 6019

November 14, 2018

11:00 a.m.-1:00 p.m.

Beginning Project Management - Part 2

Wolverine Tower 10004

January 23, 2019

11:00 a.m.-1:00 p.m.

Beginning Project Management - Part 3

Wolverine Tower Suite 10004

March 20, 2019

10:30 a.m.-1:00 p.m.

Beginning Project Management - Part 4

Wolverine Tower Suite 10004

Tier 2 Workshops (Intermediate)

2018-2019 Tier 2 UHR Project Management Workshops

Date

Time

Tier 2 Workshop Title

Workshop Location

October 25, 2018

12:30 p.m.-2:00 p.m.

What Type of Project Manager Are You?

Wolverine Tower 10004

December 12, 2018

11:30 a.m.-1:00 p.m.

Stakeholder Management

Wolverine Tower 10004

February 20, 2019

11:30 a.m.-1:00 p.m.

Developing Decision Models

Wolverine Tower 10004

March 21, 2019

11:30 a.m.-1:00 p.m.

Identifying and Managing Risks

Wolverine Tower 10004

April 24, 2019

12:00 p.m.-1:30 p.m.

Managing Bottlenecks

Wolverine Tower 6017 & 6019

May 22, 2019

12:00 p.m.-1:30 p.m.

Defining Quality

Wolverine Tower 10004

June 19, 2019

11:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m.

Data: When and How to Use It / SmartSheets and Other Tools

Wolverine Tower 10004

Tier 3 Workshops (Practitioner)

2018-2019 Tier 3 UHR Project Management Workshops

Date

Time

Tier 3 Workshop Title

Workshop Location

November 15, 2018

11:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m.

Effective Project Communication / Transitioning from Project to Program

Wolverine Tower 6017 & 6019

January 16, 2019

11:00 a.m.-1:00 p.m.

Project Management Code of Ethics & Ethical Decision-Making

Wolverine Tower 10004

April 3, 2019

11:00 a.m.-1:00 p.m.

Using Lean Tools in Project Management

Wolverine Tower 10004

May 23, 2019

11:00 a.m.-1:00 p.m.

Using Liberating Structures Tools in Project Management

Wolverine Tower 10004

Program Resources and Workshop Information

These resources will help you become familiar with the basic concepts, tools and methods of project management. Expand the following sections to learn more.

Tier 1 workshops will provide each participant with an essential foundation for project management, covering basic project management principles and skills. The following topics are covered over the course of the Tier 1 sessions. Review the criteria needed to earn badges for Tier 1 workshops. Badges may also be awarded for completion of outside training listed under "Similar coursework" for each workshop.

The Art and Science of Project Management

You have been assigned as the lead of a project. Now what? Learn about basic tools and how to influence others to accomplish project goals. Process Group: Initiating. Knowledge Area: Integration.

What Is a Project Charge?

The project charge serves as the foundation of the project. It is referenced multiple times within a project timeline to ensure that the project plan accurately captures the intent of the project. You will learn how to use scope management tools and understand the necessary planning criteria to develop a successful charge. Process Group: Planning. Knowledge Area: Scope.

What Is a Project Plan?

The creation of a project plan is a process required to develop activities that support or attain project objectives. In this workshop you will learn how to develop a successful project plan. Process Group: Initiating. Knowledge Area: Integration.

Major Roles Within a Project

In this workshop you will gain an understanding of the major roles that are necessary for successful project completion. Review definitions, responsibilities and titles of roles in project management. Process Group: Planning. Knowledge Area: Scope.

How to Make Effective Timelines

In this workshop you will learn about tools and resources to visually demonstrate project progress. You will learn how to create a timeline and effectively sequence events for successful project completion. Process Group: Planning. Knowledge Area: Scope.

Five Steps for Successfully Initiating a Project

You’ve been asked to manage a project for your organization. How will you manage all of the details? How will you inform everyone about the project? How much and what types of resources do you need? Who is going to help? How will you know if the project is necessary or if it succeeds? In this workshop you will learn techniques to guide you through a systematic process that simplifies managing a project. By following these five steps, you’ll be on track to having satisfied customers and a result that is on time and on budget. Process Group: Planning. Knowledge Area: Time.

How to Successfully Kick Off a Project

Kicking off a project can be daunting. Logistics matter! In this workshop you will learn about how to communicate the purpose of the project and focus on project launch. Process Group: Initiating. Knowledge Area: Executing.

What's the 411? Status Reporting and Communication

This workshop will focus on communication fundamentals in project management, including building a status report. Process Group: Planning. Knowledge Area: Quality.

Project Manager Resources

What are project manager resources? How do I know what is right for me and my project? In this workshop you will learn the vast array of resources available to help successfully move, create, develop or close a project. You will learn about websites, technology, smartsheets, references, documents and classes that are available to PMs. Process Group: Planning. Knowledge Areas: Scope, Quality.

What Type of Project Manager Are You?

There are multiple types of project managers. In this workshop you will work through an assessment to determine your strengths and challenges in relation to each type of project manager. Process Group: Planning. Knowledge Area: Human Resources.

Stakeholder Management

How do you know if you have the appropriate project support and sponsor? This workshop offers an in-depth look at the various ways projects are supported and sponsored. You will learn what questions to ask to determine if your project is supported appropriately. Process Group: Planning. Knowledge Area: Risk Management.

Developing Decision Models

Project management thrives on the rationality of decisions. In this workshop you will learn the importance of having a rational decision-making process, how to facilitate effective decision-making and how to work with sponsors to make the best decisions for your project. Process Group: Monitoring and Controlling. Knowledge Area: Risk Management.

Identifying and Managing Risks

Risks are associated with uncertainty; they may or may not occur. In this workshop, you will learn to assess project risks in the planning phase to offset negative impacts and pursue positive impacts. Review planning tools and the importance of communication to mitigate risks. Process Group: Monitoring and Controlling. Knowledge Area: Risk Management.

Managing Bottlenecks

This workshop provides an in-depth look at how to use available resources to move past gridlock when a project is stuck or no activity has developed. Process Group: Monitoring and Controlling. Knowledge Areas: Time, Quality.

Defining Quality

This workshop provides an in-depth look at how the cost and value of assessing quality are integral with the deliverables defined within your projects. Participants will learn about a quality management process as well as key quality concepts to help you along as you plan and manage projects. Process Group: Planning. Knowledge Area: Quality.

Data: When and How to Use It

This workshop provides an in-depth look at how to assess data within a project. Participants will learn the key questions to ask to determine if your project is supported with quality data. Process Group: Planning. Knowledge Area: Quality.

SmartSheets and Other Tools

Use tools like SmartSheets to manage one or more projects, including complex project plans. Process Group: Executing. Knowledge Areas: Time, Quality.

Tier 3 workshops will provide participants with practitioner-level experience with project management skills. Tier 3 workshops require the successful completion of all Tier 1 and Tier 2 workshops, or demonstration of equivalent experience. Badges may also be awarded for completion of outside training listed under "Similar coursework" for each workshop.

Effective Project Communication / Transitioning from Project to Program

In this workshop, participants will learn how to keep projects on track and how to increase awareness of your project deliverables with an effective communication plan. Participants will also learn how to write and understand the criteria for a successful project transition plan. Process group: Closing. Knowledge Area: Communication.

Project Management Code of Ethics & Ethical Decision-Making

A code of ethics and professional conduct guidelines exist to maintain standards to which project management practitioners are held. This workshop will discuss ethics around making the best possible decisions concerning people, resources and the environment. The workshop will also review a framework for ethical decision-making. Ethical choices diminish risk, advance positive results, increase trust, determine long term success and build reputations. Process group: Monitoring and Controlling. Knowledge Area: Quality.

Using Lean Tools in Project Management

Lean thinking is a business methodology that aims to provide a new way to think about how to organize human activities to deliver more benefits and value to your project and your customer while eliminating waste. The result of this workshop will be to deliver more value at less expense while developing the project manager's confidence, competence and ability to work with others. Process group: Monitoring and Controlling. Knowledge Area: Quality.

Using Liberating Structures Tools in Project Management

Liberating Structures tools offer alternative ways to approach and design how people work together. In this workshop, participants will learn some of the most widely used of the 33 tools available to replace or complement conventional practices. Process group: Monitoring and Controlling. Knowledge Area: Quality.

Program participants will have the opportunity to track their progress, take assessments and demonstrate competencies using Mblem, a University of Michigan digital badging system. Digital badges will be awarded for completion of certain workshops (or equivalent outside coursework listed under "Similar coursework" in each workshop description) and demonstration of skills.

These workshops are designed to introduce participants to the basic tools and strategies of project management. In many cases, various outside courses can provide a similar framework. You can receive recognition for outside coursework or project management experience in the Mblem digital badging system in one of two ways.

Apply for a specific workshop badge in Mblem, but provide documentation of your outside coursework in place of the "knowledge test" homework assignment for that workshop. A list of suggested corresponding U-M courses and external resources is provided in each workshop description.

Apply for the "Outside Coursework" or "Project Experience" badges in Mblem in cases where your outside experience or coursework does not correspond to a specific UHR workshop.

Process Groups

Project Management Knowledge Areas

Find tools and templates and pursue further study with the following resources. Outside coursework that may be used to fulfill a badge requirement is listed under "Similar coursework" in each workshop description.

The individual, group or company that will own the work of the project when it is complete

Enterprise

A company, business or other formal structure that encompasses a business

Enterprise Environmental Factors

Any internal or external organization variables that can influence the project success (examples: company culture, the business market, technology and personnel)

Executing Processes

The coordination of personal and additional resources to implement the project management plan and ensure the deliverables of the project

Functional Manager

A manager of a department or unit in a functional organization

Functional Organizational Structure

A structure within a company where people are grouped by similar skill set (examples: accounting, marketing, engineering)

Goods

Products that have been created and are available for purchase

Historical Information

Information from previous projects that can be used to learn from success and failure

Influencer

A person or organization that is not necessarily directly related to the project but can influence the project in either a good or bad way

Initiating Processes

The beginning processes in a project which occurs prior to Planning

Initiator

An organization or individual authorized and capable of starting a project

Management by Projects

Performing day-to day operations by a project management approach

Matrix Organizational Structure

A structure within a company where people are organized by (and report to) a combination of Project and Functional Managers

Methodology

A set of procedures used in project management

Monitoring and Controlling

Actions to make sure the project objectives are completed successfully

Operations

The day- to-day repeatable activities that a company performs

Organization

A group of people formed for the purpose of performing work within a company or enterprise

Organizational Process Assets (output/input)

The various process-related assets from the organizations involved in the project work; can include templates, documentation, methods and procedures and policies

Performing Organization

The entity whose personnel are most directly involved in performing the work of the project

Planning Processes

The processes required to develop the activities to attain an objective

Portfolio

A group of programs

Portfolio Management

(Technique) Managing various portfolios that include the projects and programs of which they consist; can include prioritization, authorization and management

Product Life Cycle

The generally sequential phases of a product

Program

A group of related projects that are managed to obtain synergistic benefits and control

Program Management

The management of projects in a coordinated way to achieve better results than if managed separately

Progressive Elaboration

(Technique) The process of beginning a project and, as more information is discovered, adjusting the plan to reflect the information and progress

Project

A temporary undertaking to create a unique product, service or result

Project Initiation

The process that can result in the authorization of a project

Project Life Cycle

The process of completing work on the project; it is not the project management of the work, but rather the work process (such as the process of building a house or developing a computer program), though it typically coexists with the project management life cycle

Project Management

An approach to meeting project objectives by utilizing defined methodology which includes knowledge, skills, tools and techniques